Millennial entrepreneurship strategy: Networking laterally

by Justin Key

What are millennial entrepreneurs and professionals doing to cultivate their brands, grow their businesses and truly advance the culture? They are starting businesses with their classmates, friends and spreading the wealth of knowledge they receive to the masses through innovative technology and ensuring that diversity and inclusion are more than just a catchy phrase on their websites.

Networking is the key to building relationships with new contacts. The only way to establish your brand is to connect and sell yourself to others.

Brian Wong writes in Inc. magazine about an interview with Issa Rae, an actress, writer, director and producer of the former HBO hit show Insecure.

According to the NewsOne interview, Rae says instead of trying to network with people who are miles ahead of you in your career, consider: "Who's next to you? Who's struggling? Who's in the trenches with you? Who's just as hungry as you are? And those are the people you need need to build with.'

As millennials find their place in society, most are choosing entrepreneurship as a pathway instead of traditional jobs in corporate America.

Artwork: Pixabay.com

"Millennials are anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 23 to 38 in 2019)," according to the Pew Research Center. And, they are going a step further to define how far they go and with whom, especially as entrepreneurs.

This generation has received a lot of criticism from previous generations as being lazy and entitled, and it understands that pressure is needed to break the glass ceiling. Working smarter, not harder is the New Motto. Entrepreneurship has been the saving grace for a lot of millennials.

Creating companies where they are the boss, paying employees top range salaries and always having a social impact component to their work. Who better to understand the plight and dreams of millennials than other millennials?

This mindset is said to  have been formed by watching Gen X parents complain about the rigidness of the corporate  structure, elongated work hours, meager benefits, the low glass ceilings, and the meager pay they  experienced. Children watched as their parents came home day after day unhappy, unfulfilled  and tired beyond belief. The promise made was that they would not endure the same adulthood  as their parents. This is why more millennial are college educated and become serial  entrepreneurs. A better life and future await those who create their own blueprint and have the mindset to know they cannot do it alone.  

There are several amazing organizations in the city of Memphis that help cultivate the  entrepreneurial spirit of networking.

A few are Startup Grind Memphis, Memphis Urban League  Young Professionals, Choose901, Leadership Memphis, and New Memphis Institute. To find  more groups specializing in entrepreneurship in the city, visit Meet Up.

Network, engage and  grow! 

Justin Key is a former contributing writer for Writing by Design Media, Inc. This article was originally published in 2019.